Garett T. Capps
Lyrics:
I like Austin, but I love San Antone
Yeah, they both got hard-lovin’ women
Dancing in their honky-tonks
And I can get my groove on way up north
Then head back down the road
So I like Austin, but I love San Antone
Way before the Armadillo
San Antone was a melting pot
You could dance all night at the Farmer’s Daughter
or the Hermann Sons rooftop
Yeah, Willie had his Picnic
But Doug Sahm had the cosmic soul
Over a plate of enchiladas
You might hear Wayne Douglas go
Yeah, these days Austin is still a groovy place to be
But its been taken over by strangers
And the Big Man’s companies
And San Antone’s still layin’ low
And taking it day-by-day
And we fiesta with that Tex-Mex soul
And we’ll treat you like family
And if we’re judging just by tacos
Then there’s only one place to call home
The song I picked to analyze was “I Like Austin, But I Love San Antone” by Garret T. Cappps. The song was released not long ago, on August 20th, 2021, and was written in the singer’s hometown of San Antonio, Texas. As Garrett Capps puts it, the new music genre he created is “Kraut-Country.” Which he calls a mix of the electronic hum of synth pop and the classic twang of Texas country music.
Garett T Capps didn’t start his career as a country pop singer. He started his musical career as a drummer for metal/punk bands, which could have led to his interest in incorporating synth-pop-like sounds into his songs. Capps has said that the inspiration for the song came from “the laid-back virtue of his hometown, Texas’ capital city also played a role in his musical story. He lived in Austin for two years and cut his teeth playing the White Horse Saloon, where he became known as the San Antonio guy” (Baird San Antonio Current).
Just from the music video alone, you can see how passionate Capps is about his hometown. The music video opens up with him ordering a “baja shrimp taco, with the hibiscus-infused cole slaw, ” a typical Austin-style taco. Eventually, he orders a regular taco and is chased by the San Antonio baseball team’s mascot, “puffy taco.” The lyrics are also filled with references to landmarks in San Antonio, such as the Old Farmer’s Daughter, a dance hall that hosted its first band Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys in 1961.
In the music video, Capps also features his own bar in San Antonio, The Lonesome Rose. The Lonesome Rose was founded in 2018; however, it is nicknamed the “Oldest Honky-Tonk” on St. Mary’s strip (an entertainment district located in central San Antonio). The bar features vibrant drinks as well as a vintage 45 vinyl Juke-Box. Live music is performed on weekends offering music for those who want to use the space’s dancefloor.
One line I want to pick out from the lyrics mentions that San Antonio is a “melting pot” for the mixes of cultural influences from Mexican to Native American and even French, like the French-Gothic style San Fernando Cathedral. Capps also mentions two words that are closely associated with Texas and Texan identity, which as the word Honky Tonk. Honky Tonks, from what I gathered from my research, is a rowdy bar that typically plays country music. Many of these bars even provided space for line dancing. Capp’s own Honky Tonk bar, as mentioned before, is featured in the music video.
Another important aspect from the song lyrics that I want to point out is that even though Capps finds Austin to be a fine and “groovy place,” it’s starting to become too corporate and being taken over by people moving from both the East and West Coasts. He finds he loves San Antonio more because it’s more laid back, and everyone “we’ll treat you like family.” Some evidence supports Capp’s claims that Austin is becoming too corporate. The central district is becoming more filled with skyscrapers, and more businesses are moving into their new office spaces. Some articles, like the one by governing.com, dub Austin the next silicon valley. Austin is becoming the center for business, while San Antonio still has a laid-back nature about it.
Overall the song is meant to show Capp’s love and passion for his hometown, from the melting pot of cultures to “Tex-Mex Soul.” It also shows the Texan identity of being not just one but many cultures coming together in one place.
Resources
“About.” THE LONESOME ROSE SA, https://www.thelonesomerose.com/about-1.
Ambush, Cathey. “San Antonio Is the Original American Melting Pot. Here’s Why.” Matador Network, Matador Network, 2 Sept. 2020, https://matadornetwork.com/trips/san-antonio-melting-pot/.
Baird, Bill. “When Garrett T. Capps Sings about Loving San Antonio, Best Believe He Means It.” San Antonio Current, San Antonio Current, 12 Aug. 2021, https://www.sacurrent.com/music/when-garrett-t-capps-sings-about-loving-san-antonio-best-believe-he-means-it-26898653.
Frank, Nicholas. “Austin vs. San Antonio? in New Video, Garrett T. Capps Picks His Winner.” San Antonio Report, San Antonio Report, 6 Aug. 2021, https://sanantonioreport.org/garrett-t-capps-video-puffy-taco-austin-san-antonio/.
Hudak, Joseph. “Meet the Texas Weirdo Mixing Kraftwerk with Doug Sahm to Create ‘Kraut-Country’.” Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 30 Nov. 2022, https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/garrett-t-capps-nasa-country-people-are-beautiful-1234637673/.
